Medical intervention to increase the probability of patient survival or to reduce the time required for recuperation often requires performance of complex medical procedures. The procedures to be performed and the sequence in which they are performed is determined by medical personnel based on an assessment of the medical condition of the patient. When the patient's condition undergoes rapid change, as often occurs in critical cases, it is necessary to rapidly adapt medical procedures to the changing condition of the patient. Decisions must be made rapidly, and stress on the decision makers is often high. Such an environment is conducive to errors which can have serious or fatal results for the patient.
The probability of error can be reduced by defining medical procedures in terms of algorithms which specify the sequence of steps that must be performed to accomplish the procedures. More complex algorithms can be defined which are designed to aid medical personnel in determining the proper sequence in which medical procedures should be performed.
Through the use of medical algorithms, experts in various medical specialities can convey to practitioners the description of medical procedures in a clear and unambiguous manner and additionally can specify contingency actions to be taken conditional on the changing medical condition of a patient. Current practice consists of representing the algorithms graphically in the form of tree structures. These tree structures contain branch points which direct the practitioner to alternative sequences of steps conditional on the medical condition of the patient or on treatment previously administered to the patient. Binary tree structures are designed such that at each branch point there exist only two alternative paths that may be followed. The choice of which of the two paths is to be followed can be determined be asking the medical practitioner a question to which the response must be either "yes" or "no." Thus, although the tree structure is determined by the designer of the algorithm, the path that is taken by the practitioner in traversing the tree is determined primarily by the practitioner's answers to questions posed by the algorithm.
Medical algorithms in the form of tree structures have been published in books and manuals and are useful for training purposes. However, there is no system currently in use which is capable of providing ready access to these expert developed plans for a treating physician at a time of crisis. Further, there is no mechanized system in use which can lead two or more medical personnel simultaneously through an algorithm and coordinate their actions toward the common goal of providing optimal treatment for a patient in a time of crisis.